A former nurse at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) has been handed a two-year probation order for indecently assaulting a teenage male patient.

Charles Watson (83), of Carlston Avenue, Holywood, Co Down, had pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on his victim on dates between December 1984 and January 1987.

Belfast Crown Court yesterday heard in the mid-1980s the victim had been referred to the genitourinary medicine (GUM) unit at the RVH after contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

Prosecution lawyer Robin Steer said at time Watson was working in the GUM unit as a clinical nursing supervisor.

Judge Gordon Kerr QC was told that during a testing procedure, Watson sexually assaulted the 16-year-old for around three minutes.

On a later occasion, the teenager was referred back to the same unit and was sexually assaulted again by Watson.

"He knew what was being done to him was wrong, but it was not until 1998 that he told a close friend,'' said Mr Steer.

The court heard that in September 2016, the victim was doing repairs at a house in Holywood and realised that the owner was the male nurse who had sexually assaulted him two decades previously.

Mr Steer said the victim "confronted'' Watson about the sexual assaults and the defendant replied: "I agree."

Judge Kerr told Watson that he was being made the subject of a two-year probation order "to give you the assistance and supervision you require" and was also made the subject of a notification for the next five years.